Device for indicating the level of oil in engine crank-cases



A, T. LE VESCONTE. DEVICE FOR INDICATING THE LEVEL OF OIL IN ENGINE CRANK CASES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3, 1920.

1,379,350. Patented Mel-3 24,1921.

AZLc Viacom 1 E fozum UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED '1. LE VESCONTE, OF ANONA, FLORIDA.

DEVICE FOR INDIGATING THE LEVEL OF OIL IN ENGINE CRANK-CASES.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented May 24, 1921.

Application filed April 3, 1920. Serial No. 371,061.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED T. LE VnsooNTE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Anona, in the county of Pmellas and State of Florida, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Devices for Indicating the Level of Oil in Engine Crank- Cases, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device to be connected with the crank-case of an automobile engine, to indicate the level of the oil therein, or the amount of oil to be added to restore the oil therein to the proper level.

An important object of the inventlon is to provide a device of the above mentioned character, which may be applied to the crank-case of the ordinary automobile, such as a Ford, without materially altering the construction of the same, and which will be closed when the gage-spout is in the elevated position, thus preventing the escape of the oil from the crank-case, when the automobile is going up hill and the level of the oil is raised in the rear end of the crank case.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned character, having an indicator or pointer, visible at the exterior of the automobile, to show the amount of oil in the crank-case, or the amount needed to fill the same, which indicator may be employed to turn the valve body of thegage.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the gage device, showing the same in use,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the device, removed,

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing the spout in elevation,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken upon line 44 of Fig. 3, and,

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the pointer and associated elements.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 10 designates the rear end of the crank-case of an automobile, such as a Ford. This crankcase is hung from the chassis 11 in the usual manner. The numeral 12 designates runnmg boards, having dust-guards 13 secured thereto, as shown.

My attachment embodies a gage-cock 14, including a valve casing 15, havlng a tubular stem 16, exteriorly screw-threaded to engage in opening, 17, formed in the rear end of the crank-case. This valve casing is arranged near the bottom of the crank-case, as shown. Mounted to turn within the valve casing 15 is a valve body 18, which may be tapered, and held upon its seat by a pin 19 or the like. This valve body has a longitudinal port 20, one end of which leads into a segmental opening 21, adapted to be moved into and out of registration with the bore of the tubular stem 16, as shown.

Qonnected with the valve body 18 and radiating therefrom is an upstanding tube or spout 22, which communicates with the outer end of the longitudinal bore 20. The upper end of the tube or spout is preferably bent slightly outward, as shown at 23. The segmental opening 21 is preferably approximately 90 and when the tube or spout 23 is vertical or swung inwardly toward the crank-case, past the vertical, the segmental opening is out of registration with the bore of the tubular stem, and the stem is closed, as shown in Fig. 3.

The valve body 18 is provided at its outer end with an apertured ear 24?, having suitable connection with a rock-shaft 25, ex-

tending horizontally toward the side of the machine. This rock-shaft is pivoted in an opening in the dust-guard '13, and segmental plate 26, and has a hand or pointer 27, rigidly secured thereto, as shown. This hand has a lateral extension 28, by means of which it may be turned. This hand or pointer swings in proximity to a scale 28, embodying designations that the valve is closed, that the crankcase is full, or the amount of oil, such as the number of quarts of oil, necessary to fill the crankcase.

The dust-guards 13 may have an opening 13, whereby the operator may conveniently observe the gage-cock.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The pointer 27 is normally at closed whereby the tube 22 is approximately vertical. When it is desired to ascertain the level of the oil, the pointer 27 is first moved to full and if the crank-case is full, the oil to the next point, or to the succeeding points, until the oil does so discharge. The point at which the oil discharges is designated to indicate the volume or oil which must be added to fill the crank-case, such as 1 quart, 2 quarts, etc. After this is ascertained, the

pointer 27 may be returned to the closed point,and the proper amount of oil added. It is to be understood that the form 01% my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred xample of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim V 1. The combination with the crank case of an engine provided at one end andnear its bottom witha screw threaded opening, of a valve casing having a tubular extension inserted within the screw threaded opening, said valve casing having a bore extenoing transversely of the crank case, a valve body pivoted within the bore and extending transversely of the crank case, said valve body having a longitudinal port with its outer end passing through the upper side of the valve body exteriorly of the valve casing, said valve body having a segmental opening in communication with the inner end or the longitudinal port, said segmental opening beingadapted for movement into and out or registration with the tubular extension, an upstanding spout connected with the valve body and leading into the outer end of said port, said spout being so correlated with the segmental ope'ning, that when the spout is ,a rock shaft extending transversely of the automobile and having its inner end secured to the outer end of the valve body and its outer end extending through said plate, and

a pointer rigidly mounted upon the outer end of the rock shaft in advance of the plate and adapted to travel in proximity to the scale.

2. The combination with the crank case of an engine provided at one end and near its bottom with a screw threaded opening, of a valve casing having a tubular extension inserted within the screw threaded opening, said valve casing having a bore extending transversely of the crank case, a valve body pivoted within the bore and extending transversely of the crank case, said valve body having alongitudinal port with its outer end passing through the upper side of the valve body and having a segmental opening in communication with the inner end of the longitudinal port, said segmental opening being adapted for movement into and out of registration with the tubular extension, an upstanding spout connected wlth the valve body and leading into the outer end or said port, said spout being so correlated with the segmental opening, that when the spout is moved to an opproxlmately vertical position the segmental opening is out of registration with the tubular extension, said spout swinging longitudinally of the crank case toward and away from the end thereof, a dust guard extending longitudinally of the automobile and provided with a peep opening awbladaarranged upon the exterior of the dust guard near and beneath the peep opening, said blade having a scale, a substantially horizontal rock shaft connected with the end of the valve body and extending through the dust guard and blade, and a pointer rigidly mounted upon the outer end of the rock 7 shaft and disposed upon the outer face of the blade and traveling in proximity to the v scale;

In testimony whe'reoi I atfix my signature in presence of two witnesses. 1

VALFRED T. LE VESCONTE.

Witnesses: 7

Hammer M. BLANTON, J. R. LE Vnsoon'rnn 

